The Birds of America; from original drawings by John James Audubon
The naturalist and artist John James Audubon traveled extensively throughout the United States during the 1820s and 1830s, endeavoring to record and paint all of the country’s indigenous bird species. This work culminated in 1827 with the publication of his monumental Birds of America. Issued serially in installments over a period of 12 years, Birds of America stands not only as one of the most beautiful books ever created, but also as an important contribution to the ornithological field: of the 435 birds illustrated in the work’s four volumes, 25 were previously undocumented, and six are now extinct.
The hand-colored illustrations shown here are rendered through a combination of etching, engraving, and aquatint print processes, combining subtle detail and sheer dynamism to portray its subjects in a realistic, life-sized fashion.
Currently on View at Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
No copyright: United States
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La conquista del Perú
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First edition of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species
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Map of Tenochtitlán published with a letter from Hernán Cortés
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